


Mirror Shards

by PallasCat



Category: Deus Ex (Video Games), Deus Ex: Breach, Deus Ex: Human Revolution, Deus Ex: Mankind Divided
Genre: AUGtober, Adam is a millenial it's proven by science, Amnesia, Conspiracy, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Multi, Polyamory, Recovery and healing, Sarif is the awkward dad who mispronounces 'memes', aug dysphoria, cuddles...cuddles everywhere, fluff disguised as angst, illuminaugthy, lots of emotion, tags to be added later, versalife clones
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-23
Updated: 2019-12-11
Packaged: 2020-12-31 16:37:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,415
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21148838
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PallasCat/pseuds/PallasCat
Summary: The Breach reveals disturbing secrets... secrets that concern a specific Interpol Agent





	1. The Dive

** ShadowChild : ** _ [Nukes?] _

** ShadowChild : ** _ [Listen, I know you’re mad at me. I understand that. But there’s something I have to tell you.] _

** ShadowChild : ** _ [Please.] _

** Nucl3arSnake : ** _ [What do you want?] _

** ShadowChild : ** _ [I found something in the Breach. Something that concerns our friend somehow.] _

** Nucl3arSnake : ** _ [Listen, I know you’re trying to help or... something, but he doesn’t want to hear from me anymore.] _

** ShadowChild : ** _ [Can you please send him a message at least? It’s important.] _

** Nucl3arSnake : ** _ [Just tell me what it is and I’ll see if I can do something about it.] _

* * *

Jensen shut the door, shrugging his coat off mechanically. London had left him drained, and the fallout following made it even worse. He had spent most of his time avoiding the reporters trying to get a glimpse of the ‘Brave Men of TF29' who'd 'Protected Innocent Civilians from the Augmented Menace'. Little did they know it had been an Aug doing most of the protecting . 

Adam worked the clasps of his tactical armour, letting it fall to the floor before slumping on his couch. He didn't want to turn the TV on. He knew what he was going to see: Picus News sensationalising the whole debacle and inciting more violence. But the silence weighed on his shoulders, digging into the remains of his natural muscle.

He couldn’t stand it.

He groaned, the remote remained too far away. He sighed, couldn’t push himself up. He raised his hand and sparked his remote hacking aug to turn the TV on from the couch. Eliza’s fake smile greeted him. He didn’t listen to her words, instead closing his eyes and letting the voice lull him to sleep. He was about to let himself fall asleep when static interrupted his thoughts. He ignored it. It would go away. It would go away. It would-

_ Jensen ? Jensen, I have to talk to you. _

The aug growled. “I thought we were even, Pritchard.” replied Adam, not moving or even opening his eyes.

_ I know, I know. You made plenty clear that you didn’t want to hear about me ever again. But I’m not looking for a favour here. I've found something and I think you have a right to know about it. _

Adam sighed, rubbing his face. “Fine. What is it?”

_ ShadowChild has discovered something in the Breach. Something that concerns you, I think. _

“How so ? It’s about the Illuminati ?”

_ Not about them, Jensen. About you. Specifically. _

The Aug raised an eyebrow: Pritchard seemed genuinely nervous and twitchy. Adam couldn’t remember a time when he had seemed so much on edge. “Cut to the chase, Pritchard. I’m tired.”

_ Alright, alright. Listen, ShadowChild has found medical files. Medical files that talk… about you, Jensen. All three of them. _

Adam sighed. “Listen. I know about Vadim Orlov and his little game. But he’s dead now.”

_ No, no, you don’t understand. There’s three of them, Jensen ! Three different patient numbers ! But I’m certain those files are all related to you ! And whatever those files refer to they’re going to move them soon. We have to do something, Jensen. Something is happening and-... I think you might be in danger. _

Adam frowned. “You’re not making any sense, Pritchard.”

_ Listen, just try to recover them. If what I think is true… If what I think is true you’ll want to get them out. _

* * *

“You sure about that SpyBoy ?” 

He could trust Malik. He was thankful the pilot had answered his call. She didn’t have to after all, but h wasn’t sure he wanted Vega's meddling with this.

_Well, I am certain. That should be confirmation enough._ complained the hacker on the other end of the line.

Both him and Malik rolled their eyes at the comment. “Yeah, yeah. But you know Adam looks like he hasn’t slept in a week so I’m concerned, that’s all.”

“Yeah, well, I’ll rest up once we’re done with this. Sorry I had to pull you out of bed for this. I’m inviting you to dinner or something once we’re done.” Adam sighed. He hated asking for favours out of the blue. He would have rather made contact with Malik beforehand and only asked for her help when he was sure he wasn't bothering her, but the urgency of the situation had forced his hand.

“Don’t worry, SpyBoy. I owe you twice. But if you really want to treat me I won’t complain.” jested the pilot.

Adam hummed. He wished he had the time to take a power nap before hitting the warehouse Pritchard had tracked down but he knew he would barely have a few minutes of rest.That much would only leave him grumpy, and he didn’t need that.

“Cheer up, SpyBoy, I’m in the pilot cabin and I can sense your killer aura. Whomever you’ll meet down there will drop dead before you can even get answers out of them if you keep it up !” she chuckled, proud of her own teasing and if she was as good at ‘sensing him’ as she claimed she could probably tell he was rolling his eyes with a fond smirk ghosting over his lips. “I’ll set you down here. I don’t think I can get any closer without having cops crawling all over me. If you want an extraction I’ll need a clear landing strip. Good luck.”

“Thank you, Fly Girl.” said the Aug as he heaved himself out of the VTOL. Apparently Malik had stolen the Sarif VTOL after bringing the scientists back to Detroit. Adam wondered if Sarif had noticed, maybe he had assumed it went missing during the Incident. Either way he wasn’t about to tell on her.

Adam slid down a gutter, avoiding his Icarus landing’s sparks and flashes. He would be spotted from a mile away in the night. He sneaked around the warehouse in silence. If he didn’t know better, he would have assumed it was abandoned, but he was no rookie. He noticed the people walking around the building, guns barely hidden under their coats, the discreet shadows trotting by the unlit windows. He would either find a Dvali smuggling operation or something much deeper.

The Aug spotted a vent partway up a wall. He waited for the guard to walk past before moving onwards, triggering his Kilpspringer aug to reach the air duct, and heaved himself inside.

_ I’m glad to see you’re still fond of air-ducts, Jensen. At least some things never change. _

“Pritchard, I’m _very_ tired. If you start being sarcastic I’m just going to pack up and leave.”

_ And here I thought you were powered by the perspective of playing the hero. You disappoint me, Jensen. _

“Francis…”

_ Fine, fine. I see some power surges to your left. _

“Copy.” The Aug pulled himself into a corridor, barely lit, no doubt to ensure whatever was going on here would remain hidden, so this would definitely play in his favour. Adam crouched and made his way down the hall, looking through the walls with his MAGPIE eyes. After a little while he finally noticed blobs of heat surrounded by walking people. He turned off the aug and peeked through the lock. White coats flashed in front of his eyes, scientists roaming around, whispering to themselves, scribbling notes on papers around various tables but he couldn’t see what was on it.

“Pritchard, I can’t get a good look at this from here. Is there a vent with an observation grid somewhere around ?”

_ The room to your left. There should be an air-duct that follows the wall. I don’t know if there will be an opening so don’t yell at me if you don’t find what you’re looking for. _

Adam sighed but complied, pushing the door open.No one inside, just a storage room filled with various scientific supplies. He could recognise some names, he had seen them in Sarif Industries back in the day, but nothing that looked like the medical equipment he expected. He pushed a few boxes away to reveal the opening and pushed himself into the darkness, thankful that his augmented vision allowed him to navigate without bumping his head all the time. What he found was not an observation grid but a piece of the vent had been torn open, shedding some light inside the dark conduit . He crawled closer and took a peek, ready to trigger his cloak should anyone look up to him.

The tables were covered with glass boxes, holding some sort of nanomachine inside, crawling like a living being. Adam had no idea what it could be but this was not what he was looking for. He sighed and resumed his progress. “Pritchard. That’s not what we’re searching for. Anywhere else I should check ?”

_ Yes, a little further in the second part of the warehouse. It’s not as important as the first one but I think that could work too. _

“Do you even know what we’re looking for exactly ? People held as lab rats and being experimented on with my DNA ? Something about what happened before I woke up in Alaska ? New experimental augs ?”

_ I don’t know _ _ exactly  _ _ , Jensen. If I did I would have told you instead of looking like a conspiracy nut. Just… be careful. Okay ? _

“Awww, Francis. You’re cute when you’re concerned about my well-being.”

_ I’m not CUTE, Jensen ! So stop teasing me and focus on the task at hand ! _

“Sure, sure.” mocked the Aug, carefully sneaking his way down a flight of stairs. He avoided the few guards patrolling the area, pressing himself against the walls with his cloak activated. No point raising any alarms when he had no idea where to look or what to look for. He finally reached the hangar, most of it seemed to be a work in progress. Rooms were being set up, wires hanging down the ceilings. Something was definitely going on around there.

_ Go down the stairs and to your left, Jensen. That’s where I can see some power spikes. _

“Roger that. Can you tell me more about it ?”

_ It’s stable, I don’t think there’s much going on but some machines must be running in routine mode. _

Jensen turned on his heat vision, indeed some machines running, he could see three boxes attached to the wall in front of the door. MAGPIE indicated that the insides of the box were kept at low temperatures. He didn’t see any guards inside so he pushed through the door and closed it behind him. He rose and carefully walked closer to the containers. Somehow he had a bad feeling about this. A cold shiver creeped along his spine. The boxes were rather small, a narrow window on the front, most of it frozen. He scratched the layer of ice and squinted to take a better look inside.

The moment of truth.

He peered into the dark hole and was met with a pair of closed eyes. Cold dread trickled down his back, the sensation of freezing water once again filled his lungs. Like Panchea all over again, and he knew he would not be able to return from this. 

He was looking in a mirror. The face in front of him… It was himself. Asleep in this box. The same scars, the same Sarif brand on his forehead, the same chassis as his carved into his chest. The only difference was the absence of his eye shields, but otherwise it was a reflection of himself. Warnings popped up on his HUD, warning him about hyperventilation and encouraging him to regulate his breathing with little success. He couldn’t get his eyes off the sight, looking everywhere for proof that it was in fact a lookalike and not a copy of himself but no. Everything was the same, he was missing his arms, probably his legs given the size of the box, but otherwise he was _here_ locked in the cold.

His legs buckled under his weight and he slumped on the ground, choking miserably as his lungs forced him to catch a breath. More warnings flashed in front of his eyes, heart rate, oxygen saturation, arterial tension, even his body heat was off the charts as all his systems struggled to stay in control under the heavy pressure.

_ Jensen ! Jensen, what’s happening ? Your vitals are off the charts ! What did you see ? _

Pritchard. Right. He wasn’t alone in this, he was the one who warned him, it was making sense now.

“It’s me, Pritchard. It’s me in the box,” wheezed the Aug, struggling to get to his feet. He had two more boxes to check, two more... _hims_ potentially stored away here. Frank did mention three files.

_ I don’t understand, Jensen. What do you mean ? _

He stumbled to the second box, letting a dark chuckle escape his throat. That was rich, he had been the one not making any sense when he had contacted him earlier. “What I mean is that there is a _copy of me_ in this box… and another one in this one. Fuck. I don’t know what to think anymore, Pritchard. This is fucking messed up.”

_ I...I see. It makes sense I guess. Are you holding up ? _

“What do you think, _Francis_ ? I just found myself in boxes. I’ve seen a lot of fucked up shit since I started being a cop but this takes the prize… Shit, there’s another in this one too. There’s _THREE_ copies of myself in there ! Shit, they’ve got everything ! The scars, the brand, Hell they even have the same haircut ! The only thing missing are the fucking eye shields ! I… I need to get out of here, Pritchard.”

_ What about… Them ? Are you leaving them here ? Are you going to destroy them ? _

Adam leaned against the wall, breathing hard but slowly recovering from the shock. He couldn’t just leave whomever was behind this in possession of… himself. It was wrong on so many levels. He was tempted to blow up the whole place. Leave no trace of his presence here. But he couldn’t bring himself to just… God, would this be considered suicide ? He would be killing _ himself _! He growled, no doubt he would be getting a migraine over this for sure. “I can’t leave them here. I need to find a way to evacuate them… Malik, are you there ?”

_ On the line, SpyBoy. How is it going down there ? _

“I have no fucking idea. Listen, do you think you could land, load three boxes in the VTOL and fly away from there ?”

_ Wait a minute, Frank is sending me your location… I could try to land on the little courtyard East of your position but I would get shot at immediately. I think I’ll need a distraction. _

Adam paused a moment, remembering the broken vent in the scientists’ area. “Would a gas leak or even an explosion be good enough for you ?”

_ Hell yeah ! Go for an explosion it will get more attention. As long as it’s far enough from us I can totally fly down while everyone is rushing to see what the fuss is about. _

“Copy that. Let’s get this show on the road.”

* * *

Planting the bombs was not a problem. All the fiddling to allow Pritchard to be the one to detonate them was more annoying but the hacker had insisted on doing this instead of relying on a timer in case Jensen was delayed for some reason. 

The Aug slipped out of the vent. He probably went a bit heavy handed on this one but in his defense he was pissed senseless. He rushed back to the storeroom, almost running into guards on his way there, Pritchard scolding him loudly in his Infolink.

“I’m fine, Pritchard. I got there and no one saw me.”

_ Yes, but they COULD have. You nearly ran into a room full of them ! And almost bumped into the last one ! I know you’re shook but pull yourself together, Jensen ! _

Adam scoffed, it wasn't like he was crying and having a panic attack. He was just furious. Maybe he should have stabbed the last guard to blow off some steam. It wasn't as if the explosion would spare everyone: one or more wouldn’t make much of a difference. He started unhooking the boxes from the walls. It seemed like they had been kept this way like some fucked up trophies. the thought made him nauseous. “I’m ready, Pritchard. You can trigger the bombs.”

_ Alright. Starting in three… two… one… _

The whole warehouse trembled and pieces of the roof rained on his back. He definitely charged them up too much. Adam counted to twenty and started moving the crates one by one into the courtyard. The VTOL landed quickly, all lights turned off to stay as inconspicuous as possible. Malik helped him drag the pods into the rear hold, her lack of care showing that she hadn’t realised what was laying inside. “Alright, let’s fly away, SpyBoy. You’ll tell me about those once we’re off the radars.”

“Can’t wait…” mumbled the Aug, jumping inside and slamming the door shut.


	2. Drowning

“Shit, Jensen. That’s fucked up…”whispered the pilot as she sat, legs swinging, on the edge of the roof they had landed the VTOL on. She hadn’t dared to look inside the boxes: just listening to her friend had been enough. “How are you holding up?”

Adam had no idea how to answer that. Just smoking cigarette on cigarette, impossible to stop himself. It was freezing outside but he felt like his skin was burning. If he had a bottle of alcohol he would have downed it in a second. He would probably do that once he got home. Just grab every alcoholic beverage and drink it down until even his Sentinel couldn’t keep up and he would pass out. “I don’t know, Malik. I really don’t.”

The pilot rubbed his back gently. “It’s okay, Jensen. I don’t know how I would feel in your shoes. Do you know what you’re going to do with the boxes? Try to wake them up or…”

A warning growl escaped from his throat. He did _not _want to think about it, he couldn’t think straight, he was _tired_, _exhausted _even, he just wanted to get _so drunk_ he would not remember this in the morning, probably vomit whatever weight was loaded inside his stomach, and he would be able to carry on with his life like nothing happened.

“Easy, easy, Adam. Can we at least find some place to stock them ? I can’t keep them in my VTOL for very long and I have no secure place to store them away.”

He sighed loudly, pushing the anger back into the pits of his stomach. “Sorry. Give me a minute, I need to think.” He didn’t have many contacts in Prague. Of course he couldn’t hide them in his own flat, just getting them to his top floor apartment would raise suspicion and he didn’t need one of those ‘random searches’ the cops occasionally did. The Dvalis were best at smuggling and safe-keeping but he was not exactly in a good position with them, and TF29 was a no go as well. Even if he could trust Aria, and maybe Miller to stay quiet about this, the Task Force was still an Illuminati front and no doubt they were involved in this in some way. He didn’t want to go to the Collective either, they would try to use it for their own benefit, that much he could be certain of.Samizdat had been ousted from their hideout and Jensen didn’t doubt even for a second that they would turn the situation into a breaking scoop. Now remained one person.

_ Jensen, my man ! I thought you were on a mission to save the World or some shit ! What can Doctor Koller do for you ? _

* * *

“Easy, man ! That kind of thing is very sensitive !” 

Jensen huffed, he wasn’t sure he cared at the moment. All he knew was that this was bothering him and he wanted to be done with it. Koller immediately started to scan the crates and connect them to his network to get information on the pods occupants.

“Damn, man. Did you read my letter to Santa ? It’s a little early for gifts !”

“Listen, Koller. I’m drained. I need some rest. Can you just promise me you’ll keep quiet about this ?”

“Of course, man ! Of course ! You know me ! I’ll be quiet as a tomb ! Listen, I get why you’re on edge but you got me out of a tight spot with Otar and I don’t forget that kind of stuff. So go back home with your pretty girlfriend, get some sleep, and contact me when you feel better, alright ?”

_She’s not my girlfriend_ Jensen wanted to say but Pritchard’s voice crackled in his Infolink and cut his answer short.

_ Who does this guy thinks he is, Jensen ?! Are you even sure we can trust him ? _

_Yes, Francis. I’m sure. And it’s not like I had a lot of options either._ subvocalised the Aug before bidding Koller good night and turning his heels.

_ Fine. I’m booking a flight for Prague. I’ll be here in two days. _

The secret door groaned shut behind him and Malik. “No you’re not, Francis. You did your thing, we got the stuff out of the Illuminati’s grasp or whatever, now you go back to your ‘assignment’ and resume your life like nothing happened.”

_ I’m not asking for your authorisation, Jensen. I have your vitals in front of my nose so don’t try to lie to me and pretend everything is fine. You’ve been in a non-stop panic attack since you found those boxes so whether you like it or not I’m coming. _

Adam scoffed. “I hyperventilated for a second, that’s all. I’m not curled up in a corner while crying my eyes out, Pritchard.”

_ Panic attacks aren’t just about crying and curling up on yourself, Jensen. I honestly thought you knew better. Anger, racing heart, sweating, feeling like you’re burning, nausea- and don’t you dare say this isn’t happening to you right now. I have the proof on my screen, Jensen. _

Adam pinched the bridge of his nose. No point trying to get rid of the hacker now. “Whatever, just don’t start to complain if my internet is not as fast as you’d like.”

_ Your Wifi, Jensen. Not your Internet. Those are not the same. _

“Whatever. Jensen out.”

Malik chuckled. “You two are cute when you’re like this. How are you not married yet ?”

“Please, Malik. I’m not in the mood.” sighed the Aug as the two of them walked back to the Zèlen complex. “Listen, thanks for helping me out in the middle of the night. Call me when you’re available, I’ll buy you a drink.”

“Nah, SpyBoy. I’m going to park the bird then I’m coming right back to you. I don’t think you should be left alone right now.”

“Not you too, please.” sighed Adam bumping his forehead to the side of the building.

“Yes, me too, SpyBoy. Frank is right. You’re a wreck right now. I know I won’t get you to tell me all the things you have on your heart right now but I think you should at least have a drinking buddy. Just keep some for me, I’ll be right back.” The pilot winked and trotted back to her engine parked in front of Koller’s bookshop.

Adam sighed loudly. There was no getting away from it, was it ?

* * *

Whatever hour it was it was coming too soon. The sun in his face made him grunt and wince. He actually felt a little sick so he must have downed an impressive amount of alcohol. Or just straight up tried to drink burning alcohol, couldn’t remember. He heaved himself off the couch, various bottles clattering off his chest and stomach and onto the floor. The TV was on some sort of children's cartoons channel, the high-pitched voices ringing through his ears. He turned it off and dragged his heavy body to the bathroom only to find it locked.

“Malik ? You in there ?” rasped the Aug pressing his forehead against the wooden door.

“Uuuugh… Do you really need to use the bathroom, Jensen ? I don’t want to leave the floor.” whined the pilot, the audible need to throw up caught up in her voice.

“I’m fine for now… Do you need me to bring you something ? I can go to the pharmacy.”

“If you don’t-...UGH !”

Adam winced as Malik barfed her guts in his toilets. “Alright. I’ll be right back. Try to… drink water or something. You can use the shower as well.”

The pilot made a weak agreement noise and the aug left her there, grabbing his coat and leaving his flat. He had barely stepped outside when his Infolink ringed. Please don’t be Miller or Mac with a new mission assignment…

_ Adam, it’s David. Listen, I’m about to leave London. I just wanted to thank you for what you did, you really saved our lives. If it wasn’t for you… I didn’t have the occasion to thank you face to face since you left so quickly but I wanted to do it so I’m booking a flight for Prague. _

Adam sighed, what was it with everyone coming to visit him? “David, I appreciate the intention but I have a lot on my hands-”

_ Yes, I guess you must be crawling in paperworks and such. But I really want to do this, son. Catch up with you a little bit. I think I’ll stay a week so we have some time we can spend together. _

The Aug’s shoulders slumped. There was no getting rid of him politely, was there? And after all Sarif did help him with his whole ‘mysterious augs’ chapter. Also no doubt his ex-boss would be inviting him to some fancy restaurant and Adam craved some decent food. “...Fine. I’ll see if I can get some free time but no promises.”

_ Amazing ! Thank you, son. I’ll tell you when I’m settled. Can’t wait to hear about what you’ve been up to this year. _

Adam hummed absently and cut the connection. Next Pritchard would arrive as well, probably trying to squat on his couch or something. He didn’t know how long Malik would be in Prague, Koller would be pestering him in no time with what to do with the boxes, and he would have to get some work done as well, fuck… He really needed to catch a break.

He locked his door and walked away. There was no escaping from it.

* * *

After dropping Malik something to handle her hangover and some takeout for later he ran to TF29 HQ for his debrief. With all this trouble settled a general air of quietness had fallen upon the counter-terrorism team. MacReady more or less forced him to sit down at his desk and type up his report. Recently the agent had been more and more insufferable, and without Miller to cover Adam, the leader of their team had shown full passive-aggressiveness by congratulating everyone’s work by name and conveniently missing out Jensen’s. Aria had taken notice of the slip and came to bring him a cup of coffee to comfort him.

Adam grumbled as for second time MacReady had sent his report back for some petty and nearly unnoticeable procedure error or typo when most of the other agents had already taken their leave hours ago, some without typing up their reports, to get their well-deserved rest or celebrate their successful mission in some nearby bar. Adam pinched the bridge of his nose, he felt like he was about to breakdown and scream in the middle of the TaskForce but that probably mean Delara would swarm up on him and he did not want to be kept away from his flat much longer. He considered sending his report to Miller instead of MacReady to avoid having to rewrite it once again. Bad idea, this would only piss off the brit even further. He clicked on send and left before he could get the confirmation mail.

He slapped his card on the reader of the elevator and almost slumped down once the doors closed. His eyes stung and he bit his lip to keep himself from letting out a sob. He inhaled deeply and resumed his way out of Praha Dovoz. He went straight to the train station and jumped in without caring whether or not he was in a natural or aug wagon, who cared, no cop in their right mind would arrest him after seeing his credentials.

He did get hassled once he stepped out at Fountain Station but did not even bother sassing the cop and headed straight back to his flat. He found a note from Malik saying she was out for work and would return tonight. It seemed like she had cleaned the flat of all the empty bottles he had abandoned in the morning. He slumped on the couch with a long groan, he wished he could get drunk again but he knew there was not a single drop of alcohol left in his entire house. Nor a single soul.

And in the safety and privacy of his house Jensen cried.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so, this story has been started as pure crack but the word count is getting out of hand, hence me sharing it. I would very much like some feedback of any sort as I really struggle to keep on writing when I feel like addressing and empty theater. Maybe it's a needy pathetic demand but I'm sharing my work for free despite all the real life work I have to handle and for once I would like to be able to finish something so even a very little comment will make my day. Sorry for the rant and thank you for understanding.


	3. Old Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frank arrives in Prague, the crew discuss the future of the clones. Adam is not sure how to feel about that.

He could not remember when he fell asleep, nor did he cared. All he knew was that someone was whispering and another one was grumbling in the back of his foggy mind. It did not take long to recognise the voices as Malik’s and Pritchard’s. So the pilot fetched out the hacker before returning here, this was probably for the best he had not been woken up. He vaguely heard the sound of bags being dropped and shuffling on the table behind the couch he was laying on. Maybe he should open his eyes and greet them but he didn’t want to move from the comfortable fog of numbness his mind had settled in.

  
  


He probably fell back asleep then because next thing he knew he had a blanket over his shoulders and someone was gently shaking his shoulder. “Hey, Jensen. Wake up, you need to eat something.” The aug grumbled as he pushed himself up. Night had fallen on Prague apparently and Malik was standing above him in casual civilian clothing. “There you go, sleeping beauty. You looked terrible so we let you sleep a bit.”

  
  


“I hope you don’t mind me taking over your table, Jensen. I suspect you didn’t want me to move onto your workstation in your room so I settled here.” added Pritchard from behind the couch.

  
  


“Hello to you too, Francis. Make yourself at home.”

  
  


“For that I would need to tidy it up in here. Your house is a mess. Not that I expected anything else.”

  
  


_ Glad to see everything is up to your standards, Francis _. “If you want to clean be my guest. I wasn’t exactly planning to have a Sarif employees reunion party tonight.” retorted the ex-cop as he stretched his back and went to fetch himself a glass of water from the sink.

  
  


The hacker shrugged and turned off his computer, he had set up a really impressive station in his living room. Looks like he had planned to stay for a while. Amazing. “Let’s just eat for now. Then we should go see this doctor of yours to hear what he has found about your… copies. The sooner the better I guess.”

  
  


* * *

  
  


The Chicken Foot was probably the best restaurant of the Prekazka District… and one of the last ones remaining. Thankfully tonight the place was blissfully empty, not like it was crowded most of the time but the few augs with the money to go to the restaurant every once in a while cherished this place and on weekends it could be full. The group had gotten their food pretty fast and Pritchard hummed his approval after the first bite of his dumplings while Malik cheerfully wolfed down her orange duck.

  
  


Adam on the other hand wasn’t so hungry, poking his large plate of beef noodles with his sticks.

  
  


“Come on, Jensen. You gotta chew on something, you need energy after all you’ve been through.”

  
  


“I know, Malik. I know,” sighed the aug finally picking a bunch of noodles, maybe he should have asked for a fork. “I’m just so tired… And nothing ever gets better, it’s like nothing I’m doing matters.”

  
  


“Listen, Adam,” started Pritchard making the ex-cop look up at the mention of his first name. He couldn’t remember a time the hacker had done so. “What’s happening right now I don’t even know how I would react if that was me. I would probably wound up screaming my head off until I passed out and even then I would not be handling it as well as you do.”

  
  


“Thanks…”

  
  


“Don’t thank me yet, I’m not done. You’re tough, Jensen, you’ve proved it enough times for it to be an annoying gimmick now, but everyone needs to catch a break after a while. And I’m not talking about a year-long coma. I’m talking about a real break to get your head clear. Don’t you have off days you could take ? I bet you haven’t taken a real break since you’ve started working for TF29.”

  
  


“We don’t really have off days,” shrugged the agent. “Usually we are sent on leave if we’re wounded or ill.”

  
  


“Then get a doctor’s prescription. I bet you won’t have to search for long to find a crooked one that will come up with something for you to be left off without question for a week or two.”

  
  


Adam sighed, he wasn’t too keen on the idea of taking a break to start with but he couldn’t say that Pritchard was wrong. Milena came to his mind. Sure she wasn’t a doctor but making a fake prescription must child’s play for her. “I might be able to work out something I guess. Doesn’t help me about what we should do with… them.”

  
  


“I don’t know, Jensen. It just doesn’t feel right to let them die without giving them a chance.” mumbled the pilot, unsure of whether or not her opinion would be appreciated.

  
  


The aug looked down at his beef noodles. “They might not even be alive to start with. They might be failed experiments they kept for whatever reason.”

  
  


“That sounds like a lot of waste of resources for three mangled dead bodies.” noted the hacker taking a long gulp of beer.

  
  


“I guess. What if they are just like babies or basically vegetables ?”

  
  


“Once again that would be weird to keep them like this if it’s just a work in progress. But your doctor can tell us more about it when we visit him.”

  
  


Adam hummed, finally taking a mouthful of noodles. Still remained the fact they were basically torsos, no arms or legs… They would need to be outfitted with augs. Lots of them. Sure Koller would help but he knew it would cost a lot and maybe Koller would not even be able to find the proper augs to fit the lot of them. Sure Otar wasn’t lurking around him anymore but no doubt some other Dvali would eventually poke into his business once more given how carefree the czech man was. “What if I told Sarif about them ?”

  
  


Pritchard frowned. “I thought you didn’t want anything to do with him.”

  
  


“I did not say that,” retorted the ex-cop rolling his eyes. “I said I didn’t want him to pay me for this break-in of yours.”

  
  


“Break-in ? Have you, boys, been up to naughty stuff _ without me _?”

  
  


“You weren’t around.” shrugged the hacker. “If you were you probably would have avoided Jensen an unpleasant dip and walk of shame back to his flat.”

  
  


Adam shivered at the memory of his swim into the Vitava and the cleaning bill for his coat.

  
  


“Riiiiiight… So why would you call him then, Jensen ? Do you even still have his number ?”

  
  


“For augs. For them. No point waking them up if they can’t do anything. And I do have his number. But I probably won’t need it, he’s coming to Prague. Maybe he’s even already there.”

  
  


“And you didn’t _tell us_ ?” strangled the tech almost startling the waitress walking behind him with his outburst.

  
  


“It’s not like I had the time to. He called me on my way to work and told me he wanted to come say ‘hi’. Do you think he would agree to help ?” defended the aug, after all it wasn’t like Pritchard was telling him everything about his entire life either.

  
  


“I honestly have no idea. You’re his golden boy so I guess he could probably pull some strings to get some decent augs for your copies. Maybe not the Sarif 7 series but something decent. I just hope they have your magic gene as well. It would be a pain to supply them all with neuropozyne.”

  
  


“Yeah, no doubt Koller will be able to tell us more about that.”

  
  


* * *

  
  


Koller, as usual, had a lot to say. He had not exactly waited for permission to start running some tests and, considering his dishevelled hair and the fact he had not changed clothes since the last time he saw him, Adam suspected that he had not slept at all. 

“This is insane, man ! I've never seen anything like this ! The person who worked on them really put a lot of attention to the details ! Scars, hair, beard, it's all there ! Too bad they didn't think about the shades. Seriously ! It's one of your coolest Augs, man ! It's so unnecessary, that's great. It's like you've been watching too much RoboCop and thought to yourself ‘yeah, I totally need that to look reaaaally badass.’ I mean, without them sometimes you look like a kicked puppy but-”

“Koller… To the point, please.” interrupted the ex-cop while both Malik and Pritchard were trying to use each others to hide their hilarity. 

“Right, right. So, I compared their DNA to some of the blood you left on the floor - or at least I think it's yours otherwise it wouldn't make any sense - it's _ almost _a perfect match. Seems like they made a few changes here and there, I don't know which exactly, seems really small. But they still have your crazy ass anti-rejection code so no need to give them neuropozyne !”

“That's good. What about their health ? Do you think we can wake them up ?”asked Pritchard, back to seriousness, unlike Malik, still giggling behind the hacker. 

“That I can't tell, man. I'm an Aug specialist not a meat doctor and those guys are only meat. I don't have the proper equipment down here. I could try but it might kill them. Otherwise I may have tried already ! And by may I mean I totally would have !” 

Adam sighed loudly. “Fine, fine. Don't do anything brash already. I know someone who could help. He's coming to Prague for a few days, maybe he can do something about it.”

“Cool, man ! You keep me updated ! If you need Augs to outfit the lot of them you know who to call ! But it maaaaay cost you a little. I mean, I'll make you a special price but 12 limbs and whatever they're missing inside would be too much for me.”

Adam smiled lightly, he was glad to know the doctor was on his side. “Thanks, Koller. I appreciate it a lot.”

“No problem, man ! You go do your thing and catch some rest with your pretty girl and your handsome boyfriend. You look like shit, let them take care of you.”

Adam might have said something about the last comment if Malik had not snatched his arm and Pritchard's with a grin. “Don't worry, buddy. I'll make sure those two get to relax a bit. Thanks for the help !”

“Good ! You took care of them, man ! I'm glad Adam has someone to watch over him when I'm not around, he gets caught up in some pretty stupid shit sometimes.”

“Agreed !” chirped the pilot before the ex-cop could contest that well known and established fact. “And he's not the only one. You take care too, looks like you could take your own advice.”

* * *

  
  


First thing Adam did upon returning to his flat with his two companions on his heels was to call Melena and ask her if she could forge some sick leave papers. Despite the late hour the ‘artist’ squealed with delight and took the challenge. Next was getting some rest and with how restless Adam felt he doubted he would get any sleep. The trio then decided to watch the TV, while Pritchard was absently typing some code into his phone, and get some drinks. Nothing like the previous day, Malik didn’t feel like barfing all morning again and Pritchard voiced loudly his distaste of hangovers. There wasn’t enough alcohol left in the flat for Adam to get even slightly tipsy anyway. Just a couple of beers to bond over and nothing more. 

After the movie Malik bid the two men goodbye and returned to her own place, Adam made a note to ask her where she was staying tomorrow, leaving Adam and Pritchard awkwardly sharing the couch.

“So uh… still want to watch a movie ?” asked the hacker putting his phone back into his pocket slowly like he thought Adam wouldn’t notice the movement if it was not too fast.

“I don’t know. I guess I could get some sleep.” muttered the aug with a shrug not looking away from the TV screen.

“Good, good… Well, goodnight, Jensen. Thanks for letting me use the couch.” answered Pritchard his eyes also riveted on Eliza Cassan’s unchanging face.

“Yeah… Sleep well, Francis.” he mumbled before lifting himself off the cushions and leaving the living room. 

He made a stop in the bathroom to brush his teeth. When he walked back into the corridor he could hear the steady typing coming for the tech’s keyboard and stayed still a few seconds. Surprised to realise how soothing the sound was. He smiled to himself. He might never admit it… but he was glad Pritchard came.

* * *

  
  


Morning came too soon again but Adam forced himself out of bed when his alarm rang and dragged his exhausted carcass down the hallway to find Pritchard still typing on his laptop exactly where he had left him. A strong scent of coffee and cigarettes clinging to the air around them.

“Do you even sleep, Pritchard ?” asked Adam going to snatch what was left of the coffee pot before the hacker swooped in to finish it.

“Is it morning already ? I guess I’ll take a nap while you meet with Sarif then.” casually answered the tech not even pulling his nose from his keyboard.

The aug rolled his eyes and turned to his computer, pleased to see that Milena did what he asked and made him a credible medical excuse. He had no idea what the fancy latin name meant but it seemed like a credible enough excuse to skip a few days of work. He sent the report straight to MacReady and let out a long sigh. He then noticed the mail from Sarif giving him the address of his hotel in Prague, he was not really surprised to see that his ex-boss had managed to find a room in a Natural-only hotel. After all the man was a resourceful one.

He sipped his lukewarm coffee and wolfed down a bowl of cereal before hitting the shower and getting ready. It was still early but with the jet-lag there was a strong chance Sarif would be awake when he would reach the hotel. When he got out of the bathroom Pritchard was laying on the couch, eyes closed, body relaxed. He paused a minute to watch the other man. He still had a hard time wrapping his head around the fact he had dropped everything to come to help him. He quietly walked back to his bedroom to pick the blanket and drap it over the hacker’s body. The tech let out a soft sigh and mumbled a half-asleep thanks.

“You’re welcome.” smiled Adam. Maybe things wouldn’t be so bad after all.


	4. Honest Hearts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adam finally gets to tell Sarif what's going on

Adam felt uneasy in the luxurious lounge of the Hotel Sarif was staying in. Of course the personnel had refused to let him go upstairs to meet Sarif. It’s almost as if they gagged when he went through the door. He even had to flash his Interpol ID to have the security guard back off and reach the reception desk. The receptionist had then refused to give him Sarif’s room number and simply said he would ‘notify’ his client and he could wait outside until then. Of course Adam had refused to be tossed outside and settled in the lounge instead despite the glances thrown his way. Just in case he had sent a message to Sarif to tell him he was there in case the receptionist has just been trying to get rid of him and now he was waiting. 

It took a few minutes for the older man to arrive, impeccable as always but his heavy eyes betrayed his exhaustion. “Good morning, Adam. I wasn’t expecting to see you so soon.” greeted the aug’s ex-employer taking a seat in front of him and gesturing at the waiter to get a coffee.

“Yeah, I uh-... I took a few days off.”

“You did ? You must be really exhausted then, you never took a day off unless I made you. Is something wrong ?” asked Sarif looking up from his porcelain cup.

“No… Yes ? I don’t know. Something happened and I have no idea how to deal with it.”

Sarif’s face softened, taking this paternalistic attitude he had seen sometimes back in the day. “You know you can talk to me, son. You’ve been through a lot lately and honestly if I can help I can. You got us out of a tight spot in London,” the older man paused a moment to take a look around before leaning closer to the aug. “Is it about what you found in the Alps ?”

Adam huffed, he couldn’t even tell if this was related or not. Probably was but what the hell would be the link ? “I’m not sure. Could be but I can’t say for sure.” 

The older man hummed, finishing his cup in one go before dropping it back on the little plate. “Shall we go somewhere else ?”

* * *

Getting Sarif to the aug ghetto proved to be incredibly more complicated than Adam expected. The cops seemed to feel personally offended that someone could be visibly wealthy and augmented. The two men found themselves almost swimming through a crowd of corrupt policemen trying to use every excuse to drag them to the police station to check their credentials and Jensen had to use his CASIE aug more than once to have them back down without punching them in the throat.

David noted several times that he could have paid for the taxi and Jensen simply told him he was free to call a cab once they were done. Once they reached Capek Station Adam found himself playing bodyguard once again when he noticed the hungry stares of some small time thieves and the usual lurking Dvalis looking for an easy target amongst those who won’t be missed.

“Do you live here, son ? I thought Interpol would get you a better place to stay in.”

The aug shrugged. “I don’t mind. There’s not a person here that could harm me.”

They paused a moment in front of Koller’s workshop, Adam to smoke a last cigarette and contact Pritchard before going into the bookshop and Sarif to comment on the store front. “I wasn’t expecting to find such a large library in this part of Prague. Did you find something in there ? Someone else spying on you ?”

“Not really. My aug specialist lives here so what I have to show you is kept by him.”

“Aug specialist ? Is it someone I know ? Someone from SI ?”

The aug chuckled, smoke escaping from his nose and mouth. “Definitely not. Koller is good but I think you would not even have taken him in for an interview.”

David frowned a second, the name did seem to ring a bell but he couldn’t put a face on it. Adam just had the time to finish his cigarette before Pritchard showed up, grumbling and cursing profusely about his interrupted sleep.

“Did you really need me to hold your hand, Jensen ? Can’t a big boy like you face the big bad wolf on his own ?”

“Frank ?! What are you doing here ?”

“I came to help Jensen because he can’t do anything without my help.”

“You sure didn’t look smarter when you needed mine a week ago.” scoffed the aug.

“You really need to explain yourself, son. What’s happening here.”

“Jensen ! My man ! You’re back ! And you brought friends- Oh my God, are you David Sarif ? Jensen, you must stop spoiling me I’ll run out of Neuropozyne ! Come in, my friends !” chirped the punk waving them inside his bookshop. It had been fixed up since the Dvali attack. Many shelves remained painfully empty. A lot of them had been shredded to pieces and could not possibly return on their spots. 

David looked around the place with an appreciative hum. He sure hoped the Aug specialist Adam had mentioned was not the man who had greeted them and probably had been the one checking up on Adam for the past year but knowing his ex-employee… He feared the worst. 

“I ran all the tests I could in the dungeon and I have to say, this is bomb, man ! They are in pristine condition ! You can tell they have never breathed air before. I mean, I didn’t come around poking into their lungs but their blood is clean of all toxines, it's like they just got out of the womb !” excitedly explained the doctor, not noticing the growing air of discomfort on the aug's face as he opened the way to the secret elevator. 

“Listen, son. I'm sorry to interrupt but what is going on ? Who has never breathed before ?” intervened the older man, mercifully ending the youngest's rant. 

“The clones, mister Sarif ! Jensen's clones ! You have to see them ! They need cool shades tho. Can't be proper Jensens without the shades.”

Sarif opened and closed his mouth a couple of times without making a noise, his eyes going from Adam to Koller with utter confusion. 

“Christ, Jensen ! You didn't tell him yet ? What were you thinking about ?!” snapped Pritchard as the elevator door opened. 

“What did you want me to do ?! Screaming in a public place that two days ago I found my dismembered clones in some secret lab which I proceeded to bomb ?! What if someone overheard ?”

“Goodie ! And you call _me_ paranoid ? I swear this whole conspiracy chasing is messing with what’s left of your brain.”

Adam squinted at the hacker before he noticed Koller patting one of the boxes affectionately. Just a tiny detail… “You put blankets on them ?”

“Yeah, man ! I didn’t want the little yous to feel bad. They’re stuck all day in the dungeon with me, at least I should make them comfortable !”

The attention made Adam smile, even if it was silly and not actually him it still warmed his chest.

Sarif had walked closer carefully, curiosity and awe painted over his face as he crouched next to one of the boxes and glanced inside. His ex-employer looked like he had jumped back to his CEO days, at the peak of his success, power and knowledge all dancing on the tip of his fingers.

“They look like perfect copies, they must have been tank-grown in adult age … Those scars look fairly fresh. Jesus, Adam, this is crazy. We are supposed to be years if not decades away from cloning. This… This is incredible !”

“Yeah… Snatched them away from some clandestine lab. Frank and Malik helped me out with this.”

“Faridah is here too ? Did you invited all of my employees to work on this ?”

“_ Ex- _employees. And it’s just Malik and I. I’m the one who told Jensen about this and we needed a pilot to evacuate them. She happened to be around so she came to help it’s not like we have a secret club.” explained Pritchard standing to Adam’s side.

Sarif nodded slowly, his eyes going from the hacker to Adam with this little corner smile and a little spark in his augmented eyes that made Adam shift uncomfortably. “I see, good good. Seems like you two are finally getting along. And don’t worry, son. I’ll take good care of them, the best they can have.”

Adam nodded with relief. “Good, I just need to ask you for one thing.”

“Of course, Adam ! Whatever you want !”

“Don’t weaponise them unless they ask for it.”

Sarif’s expression fell, his mouth opened to protest but-... Adam was not looking at him, his eyes were set on the floor, without his shades Sarif could see the shame his ex-security chief hid under his dominant persona. His shoulders were down, making his usually imposing stature look much more fragile and… human ? Frank’s hand gently held Adam’s biceps, concern showing through the hacker’s usual scowl. 

“I-... Of course, son. I understand. I won’t do anything but the necessary. I promise.”

“Thanks.” _For giving them the choice I didn’t have._ Pritchard’s hand squeezed the polymer muscle a little tighter before letting go. Adam turned to him and smiled lightly, the icy blue eyes did not dare hold his but he knew he was here for him and that’s all Adam cared about. 

“Man, the mood dropped really fast here ! Let’s not get all depressed and shit and all go talk upstairs. I have the feeling some fresh air will do us all some good.” added the aug specialist slipping by Adam’s side and gently pushing him back towards the elevator. “We should let the kids take their nap and do the adult talking somewhere else, yes ?”

Adam hummed absently and the entire group turned their heels, leaving the three dismembered men into the deep dark dungeon.

* * *

Turns out Sarif might have hired Koller after all. The two men had been engaged all day until late evening in a frantic discussion about augs. In not even ten minutes David had shed his dapper suit jacket and tie, rolled up his sleeves and had started doodling new aug models on napkins with Koller in the middle of the bar the group had settled in until the barmaid gently kicked the group out to close for the night. By then the older man almost looked like he was ten years younger than he actually was.

The two men were almost ready to keep going on the entire night in the middle of the streets if Adam had not shoved a nearly hysterical Sarif into a cab to get some rest while Koller was still screaming at him new, innovative ideas from the streets like a crazed drunk despite barely drinking a single pint of beer.

“Jensen ! My man ! Your boss is so cooooool ! I thought he was going to be some stuck-up corporate asshole but he’s even more awesome than I imagined ! Maaaaaan, I’m so glad you brought him to the Time Machine, this is like my wildest dream coming true !”

“Well, glad you’re having the time of your life, Koller. I’m sure Sarif is delighted as well.” sighed the aug pushing the specialist back to the Zélen Apartments. It was getting late and the curfew was still in action and he wouldn’t be able to get Koller back to his shop before the cops started flooding the ghetto streets looking for some easy aug target to shove into a cage all night or shoot on sight for shits and giggles.

Frank and Malik were walking ahead of the two of them while Vaclàv was clinging to his sleeve like an excited puppy on a leash. “I’m going to have so much shit to work on and I’m going to do it with _David Fucking Sarif_ ! Do you even understand how great that is ! Pinch me, Jensen ! I need to make sure I’m not dreaming and going to wake up all alone in the dungeon tonight !”

“I’m not pinching you, Koller. Get in there, you’re sleeping on the-...” No, he couldn’t sleep on the couch, Pritchard was already sleeping there.

“Hey, Jensen, where am I sleeping tonight ? Last night I stole your bed because you passed out on the couch but I’m not sure I should be stealing the bed all to myself tonight.”

“Hey, you’re not sleeping on the couch ! It’s my spot !” retorted the hacker.

“Yeah, man. I guess the three of us will share the bed.” chuckled Koller playfully tugging on Adam’s sleeve.

“Wait, why would you all get the bed and I have to sleep on the couch ! If you’re taking the bed I want a spot too !”

The augmented man sighed. “I guess I’m taking the couch then.”

The pilot patted his shoulder with a friendly smile. “No, Jensen, we’re not stealing your bed. I’ll sleep on the couch.” 

“Nah, man. I’m the one who should have been able to return to my own bed and couldn’t because I got overworked. I’ll take the couch.”

“Wait ! The couch is _my_ bed ! No one sleeps there but me !”

Adam pinched the bridge of his nose with an exhausted sigh. “Fine… Who sleeps where ?”

* * *

Turns out no one slept on the couch. It felt so alien to Adam to be squished between all his friends in a messy cuddle pile. This bed that had once felt too big, too cold, too empty, now radiated warmth, tangled limbs, and soft snores.

On his right side Frank was turning his back on him, the hacker had shamelessly stolen the pillow but somehow, along the night, his head found a better spot against his shoulder, his long dark hair falling all over the augmented man’s chest as his long fingers clenched his carbon-fiber arms. On the left Malik was huddled against his flank, short strands tickling the side of his face, sometimes she would mumble something in her sleep and rub her nose against the crook of his neck. Behind her Koller was spooning her casually, his augmented fingers barely brushing the biceps of his own black augs and answering Malik’s sleepy murmurs with some czech babble, sweet talking according to his translator. 

And Adam didn’t sleep. He should. But he didn’t want to lose any seconds of this comforting peace. Not to sleep, nightmares, numbness, and fear. He wanted to stay here, watching over them, listening to their mindless little whispers, for him only to hear. People holding to him, keeping him anchored, keeping him safe, surrounded… loved.

A deep breath. He did not want to cry. He did not want to break. Not here, not with them all around him. But with their presence wrapped around him he realised how excruciating the gaping void inside his chest was when they were not around. The dark freezing liquid seeping out of the ragged gash floating in his lungs. How he nearly lost it all this accursed day that tore the World in two and threw him in the middle of the chasm. And maybe he did lose it all. Maybe he did die that day under the water. Numb, cold, dark, drowning, drowning, drowning… can’t breathe. Can’tBreatheCan’tBreatheCan’tBreathe. 

_ Easy, easy. You can breathe. _

But I can’t ! It’s choking me !

_ It’s not real. It has no hold on you. _

It’s dragging me deeper ! It’s too powerful !

_ It’s okay. Hold my hand. You’re good. _

I’m scared... I’m suffocating.

_ It is scary but you are not alone. You’ll make it. _

Don’t leave me… I don’t want to be alone again… It’s been so long...

_ It’s okay… We’re not going anywhere. Now breathe, and open your eyes, Adam. _

  
  


His eyes opened, the soft golden light of dawn shaping the contours of the three figures around him. “There you go. Welcome back, Jensen.” a soft smile accompanied by the twinkle of Malik’s monroe piercing, her steady palm pressed flat against his heart.

“Wh-what…”

“You had a nightmare,” interrupted Pritchard, his right hand cupping his cheek, thumb brushing away a stray tear with unexpected gentleness. When did the snarky hacker started to care like this ? “Pretty bad one it seems, you started hyperventilating and crying.”

Augmented crimson fingers squeezed his in a comforting gesture. “Yeah, man. Looked like you were choking or some shit. But you’re good now. We got you.” Koller smiled at him, no judgement or pity in his eyes, only pure affection showing in those dark pupils.

The hand on his cheek brushed along his jaw up to his temple to tame the messy bed hair. “Do have these often, Jensen ? Nightmares.” asked the hacker calmly, a part of him had almost wished the tech did not bring it up.

He looked away, didn’t want to answer. Didn’t want to give in. Didn’t want to expose himself again. Get hurt again.

“It’s okay, man. If you feel like it’s too soon we won’t insist. Just don’t push yourself too hard, yeah ?” reassured the aug specialist, his fingers interlacing with the oil black ones, an oddly intimate gesture he had forgotten about even before he lost his fingers of flesh to carbon ones.

He squeezed back, the words on the tip of his tongue, craving to find solace among those people he trusted but fear nailed them inside his lungs. The only sound escaping was one of his shaky breath. Malik laid back against his chest, her hand sliding up his torso to his nape. “It’s fine, Jensen. You take a break, okay ? We’re not going anywhere.”

Frank nodded his approbation and sat up on the bed. “I’ll grab us some coffee. And something to eat that’s not cereals. Which I doubt I’ll find so don’t complain if that’s not what you want.”

Koller giggled and jumped out of the bed too. “Don’t bother, man ! Just get the coffee and doctor Koller will make you some fine eggs ! Least I can do for letting me crash at your place !”

“I guess we better follow them just to make sure your friend doesn’t burn your place or that Frank doesn’t chug all the coffee before we even see the colour of it.” added the pilot winking at Jensen with a mischievous smile.

“I heard that !”

The augmented man rolled his eyes, a barely hidden smile on his lips. A lively day ahead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey, I hope you're all enjoying the story so far, I'm sorry for the slow rhythm lately. Mood's pretty low and I'm swimming in exams but hey ! Cute stuff in this chapter ! And more to come ! Stay tuned !


End file.
